Cuban Forces Kill Four, Detain Six After Armed Florida Speedboat Incursion

Cuban Border Guard troops returned fire after a Florida-registered speedboat bearing registration FL7726SH opened fire near Cayo Falcones, killing four people aboard and wounding six, Cuban authorities said. The wounded were evacuated for medical treatment and remain detained while an investigation proceeds, the Interior Ministry reported following the early-morning clash on Feb. 25, 2026.

The Interior Ministry said the interception occurred about one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino canal in Cayo Falcones, Villa Clara Province, when five border guard personnel approached the vessel to identify it. Cuban accounts state the speedboat’s crew opened fire first and that the commander of the Cuban vessel was wounded in the exchange, prompting return fire that left four dead and six injured.

Cuba characterized the incident as an attempted armed infiltration by “armed Cubans living in the U.S.” and accused the passengers of planning “terrorism” on the island. Authorities said they seized a cache of weapons and gear from the boat, listing assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, bullet-proof vests, telescopes and camouflage uniforms among the material taken into custody, and described the majority of the 10 passengers as having “a known history of criminal and violent activity.” The Interior Ministry said the government was “safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region.”

Cuban officials named at least two people they said were wanted in connection with acts linked to terrorism: Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez. Authorities also said they arrested Duniel Hernández Santos, whom they described as someone “sent from the United States to guarantee the reception of the armed infiltration,” and said he “has confessed to his actions.” Cuban statements about identities, residency and criminal histories have not yet been independently verified.

Maritime records cited by U.S. sources describe the vessel as a 24-foot powerboat manufactured in 1981; Cuban statements put the interception roughly 90 to just over 100 miles from Florida, at Falcones Cay. Cuban officials said they contacted U.S. counterparts after the incident. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said the White House was “monitoring” the situation, while Florida Rep. María Elvira Salazar said she was “closely monitoring reports” and Rep. Carlos Gimenez called the episode a “massacre.” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to assist in an inquiry.

Independent verification of several Cuban claims remains pending; Cuban-sourced details about the boat’s provenance, the passengers’ U.S. residency and alleged criminal records have not been corroborated by outside journalists or authorities, and investigators have yet to publish a public inventory beyond the Interior Ministry’s statement. Cuban officials framed the action as a defense of territorial waters, noting past June 2022 incidents involving speedboats as contextual precedent.

Investigations are ongoing on both sides of the Florida Straits. Cuban prosecutors say they will press ahead with inquiries into the identities and alleged plans of the intercepted group, while U.S. and Florida authorities have signaled they will seek records and answers about the vessel, the people aboard and the use of lethal force against a U.S.-registered boat.